Although Adel Imam made more than hundred movies, but this one stands alone. At the time, he used to be the unemployed dumb man, the suppressed poor lover, you know, the kind of parts that the comedians do for half, or more than half, of their lives (that includes nearly all the comedians all over the world by the way). This time, he chose to be a widower father for a 5 year old girl, who falls in love with a young woman till he discovers that he has a deadly tumor; it resembles other roles that serious actors, like Shokery Sarhan or Ahmed Mazhr, have handled in the 1950s and the 1960s. Simply he chose to be something totally else what he used to do, assuring - by his success - that he could do drama as fine as comedy. This spirit made him "an actor" alongside his being as "a comedian". Though, I may miss it for the last decade, where his drama roles have become certainly less.
The movie is undeclared remake of the American thriller Zig Zag (1970) starring George Kennedy, which was remade in India in Majboor (1974) starring Amitabh Bachchan, along with 3 Indian movies as well. So we have such a story that was that seductive to be remade for these many times. And the Egyptian script managed to handle it very well. It's catchy and tight, full of feelings and thrill. At the first half, it is a love story between that widower and his daughter's sensitive teacher. There is some antagonist to heat things up. Imam makes his character with little funny remarks and reactions. Then it is a kind of a thriller, with murder, stolen money, which has some echoes of (Double Indemnity - 1944) as well. I felt joy out of it with the presence of good dialogue, some history for the heroine, and one happy end.
Athar El-Hakim is the heroine. I think it was one of her first roles; however she proved how charismatic and talented she is. Through her cinematic career for the next 10 years, El-Hakim represented the middle class Egyptian girl of the 1980s, with her features, decorous type of clothes, and temperance. Her characters, all good and not evil, used to be working, practical and dreamer girls. She had a natural radiation of humbleness and innocence, and it clicked rightly, expressing truthfully a generation of girls at the time.
The supporting cast is flawless. Aziza Helmy is the kindhearted mother; a stereotype that she did many times, with perfection and a load of credibility every time. Omar El-Hariri is classic as the police investigator who knows the truth yet doesn't know how to prove it. Eman is one of the best Lebanese actresses who have worked in the Egyptian cinema. For years, she was typecast as the evil woman, the home wrecker, but at least she did those usual, so similar, characters convincingly, to be more than just another pretty blonde. Ahmed Rateb played the silly cousin. It was his debut, and after that, he was launched as one of Egypt's finest comedians and character actors. Director Hani Lashen played the co-investigator. Did he want to pursue a career in acting? It's clear that he wanted to look ravishing and macho; with many stylish suits and some mustache; as if he desired to be the next Roshdi Abaza, but apparently it didn't work. He - wisely I believe - left acting to directing early, so we won a real good director, and didn't lose a good actor though! Sherine El Emari, the kid who played the daughter, was so tender and sweet. She was more sweet while delivering her lines cleverly. I cried when she was sick, and when she was talking about not understanding the word "criminal" which, at one point, everybody was calling her father with (that scene's writing deserves an award apart). Ali El Scherif was the ignorant landlord, however with a loud voice that suits the theater more.
Gamal Salama was living his golden age as a movie composer in the 1970s and the 1980s. Back then, his name on any movie poster was axiomatically meaning moving and elegant Egyptian music, with very distinguished stamp. Here he provided the movie with beautiful orchestrated score; its sad romantic core was effective. I feel sad myself that within 10 years, he would live his tin age as a composer, making the easiest and shrillest movie music ever, all done on keyboard, through movies starring mostly Nadia El Gendy, before his retirement from movies, almost for good, since the 2000s. Director Mohamed Abd El Aziz moved the cast thoroughly; it was his way to shatter the long dialogue sometimes. I believe the movie's nature didn't allow him much to move - himself - freely, so that's why he went to be TV-ish more than cinematic. Then the poor budget and the usual cinematography managed to tincture the whole movie with poor and usual look. Though the most shameful shortcoming was the sound!
For most of the time, the dialogue is hardly heard. There is always a side noise. Try to believe it, but even at the key scenes a horn of a car is strident (sometimes it's 2 cars' horns!). And raising the volume doesn't solve the matter, only magnifies it! I can't imagine what the audiences did do while watching it in the movies at the time. Anyway, I think since the late 1990s "sound" hasn't been a problem in any Egyptian movie. Technology put the end to that.
Yes, sound nowadays is no problem, but script undoubtedly is. As for me, I prefer the opposite of that case, like in here. Sure it's more enjoyable, merciful, and long-lived.
PS: The movie's title (Katel Ma Katelsh Had) or (Killer that Killed Nobody) is a reference to Imam's hit play during the 1970s (Shahed Mashafish Hagga) or (Witness that Witnessed Nothing). Omar El-Hariri, who plays the police investigator here, played a police investigator there too.
The movie is undeclared remake of the American thriller Zig Zag (1970) starring George Kennedy, which was remade in India in Majboor (1974) starring Amitabh Bachchan, along with 3 Indian movies as well. So we have such a story that was that seductive to be remade for these many times. And the Egyptian script managed to handle it very well. It's catchy and tight, full of feelings and thrill. At the first half, it is a love story between that widower and his daughter's sensitive teacher. There is some antagonist to heat things up. Imam makes his character with little funny remarks and reactions. Then it is a kind of a thriller, with murder, stolen money, which has some echoes of (Double Indemnity - 1944) as well. I felt joy out of it with the presence of good dialogue, some history for the heroine, and one happy end.
Athar El-Hakim is the heroine. I think it was one of her first roles; however she proved how charismatic and talented she is. Through her cinematic career for the next 10 years, El-Hakim represented the middle class Egyptian girl of the 1980s, with her features, decorous type of clothes, and temperance. Her characters, all good and not evil, used to be working, practical and dreamer girls. She had a natural radiation of humbleness and innocence, and it clicked rightly, expressing truthfully a generation of girls at the time.
The supporting cast is flawless. Aziza Helmy is the kindhearted mother; a stereotype that she did many times, with perfection and a load of credibility every time. Omar El-Hariri is classic as the police investigator who knows the truth yet doesn't know how to prove it. Eman is one of the best Lebanese actresses who have worked in the Egyptian cinema. For years, she was typecast as the evil woman, the home wrecker, but at least she did those usual, so similar, characters convincingly, to be more than just another pretty blonde. Ahmed Rateb played the silly cousin. It was his debut, and after that, he was launched as one of Egypt's finest comedians and character actors. Director Hani Lashen played the co-investigator. Did he want to pursue a career in acting? It's clear that he wanted to look ravishing and macho; with many stylish suits and some mustache; as if he desired to be the next Roshdi Abaza, but apparently it didn't work. He - wisely I believe - left acting to directing early, so we won a real good director, and didn't lose a good actor though! Sherine El Emari, the kid who played the daughter, was so tender and sweet. She was more sweet while delivering her lines cleverly. I cried when she was sick, and when she was talking about not understanding the word "criminal" which, at one point, everybody was calling her father with (that scene's writing deserves an award apart). Ali El Scherif was the ignorant landlord, however with a loud voice that suits the theater more.
Gamal Salama was living his golden age as a movie composer in the 1970s and the 1980s. Back then, his name on any movie poster was axiomatically meaning moving and elegant Egyptian music, with very distinguished stamp. Here he provided the movie with beautiful orchestrated score; its sad romantic core was effective. I feel sad myself that within 10 years, he would live his tin age as a composer, making the easiest and shrillest movie music ever, all done on keyboard, through movies starring mostly Nadia El Gendy, before his retirement from movies, almost for good, since the 2000s. Director Mohamed Abd El Aziz moved the cast thoroughly; it was his way to shatter the long dialogue sometimes. I believe the movie's nature didn't allow him much to move - himself - freely, so that's why he went to be TV-ish more than cinematic. Then the poor budget and the usual cinematography managed to tincture the whole movie with poor and usual look. Though the most shameful shortcoming was the sound!
For most of the time, the dialogue is hardly heard. There is always a side noise. Try to believe it, but even at the key scenes a horn of a car is strident (sometimes it's 2 cars' horns!). And raising the volume doesn't solve the matter, only magnifies it! I can't imagine what the audiences did do while watching it in the movies at the time. Anyway, I think since the late 1990s "sound" hasn't been a problem in any Egyptian movie. Technology put the end to that.
Yes, sound nowadays is no problem, but script undoubtedly is. As for me, I prefer the opposite of that case, like in here. Sure it's more enjoyable, merciful, and long-lived.
PS: The movie's title (Katel Ma Katelsh Had) or (Killer that Killed Nobody) is a reference to Imam's hit play during the 1970s (Shahed Mashafish Hagga) or (Witness that Witnessed Nothing). Omar El-Hariri, who plays the police investigator here, played a police investigator there too.
